Atul Agrawal takes charge as CEO of Indian Society of Advertisers

MUMBAI: The Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA), the country’s top voice for advertisers for more than 70 years, has appointed Atul Agrawal as its new chief executive officer. He took charge on January 2, 2026.

With nearly four decades of experience across some of India’s most admired corporate names, Agrawal brings both gravitas and perspective to the role. His career spans FMCG and corporate leadership, with deep roots in brand building, media strategy and corporate communications.

Calling the role both an honour and a responsibility, Agrawal said the timing could not be more significant. Marketing and media, he noted, are in the middle of a profound reset driven by changing consumer behaviour and rapid technological shifts.

He said his focus would be on promoting responsible, effective and efficient marketing by working closely with advertisers, agencies, broadcasters, media owners and other stakeholders. Strengthening ISA’s work on media transparency, measurement and accountability will be a key priority.

An alumnus of IIM Ahmedabad, Agrawal has previously worked with Hindustan Lever and at the Tata Group headquarters, where he was involved in corporate brand marketing, youth engagement initiatives, media buying and large sponsorship programmes. He has also served on ISA’s executive committee representing Tata Services and has contributed internationally as a jury member for the World Federation of Advertisers’ Global Marketer of the Year award.

Welcoming the appointment, ISA Chairman Sunil Kataria said Agrawal’s long association with the organisation and his leadership experience make him well placed to steer ISA at a critical moment for the industry.

Kataria added that with ISA leading initiatives such as the Media Charter, brand safety, viewability standards, first-party data frameworks and cross-screen measurement, Agrawal’s leadership would help turn intent into impact.

With its new CEO at the helm, ISA says it remains committed to working with the wider ecosystem to drive efficiency, accountability and sustainable growth for advertisers across India.